Tank-car.



1. T. H. PAUL.

TANK CAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24| 1908.

l, 17Q56Q Patented Feb. 8; 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

: oooooobooooocsasa 'POCOOO 000000? WITNESSES ATTORNEY JfT. H. PAUL.

TANK CAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR-241 I908- 1,170,56..

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTO J H u ATTORNEY J'OR'N '1. H. PAUL, OF CHICAGO, II lL-INOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

TANK-CAR.

maosco.

Application filed April 24, 1908. Serial No. 428,898.

' T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. H. PAUL,

citizen of the United States, residing at Chi- I cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tank-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to tank cars, and ha for its object the improvement in the construction thereof. As is Well known to those rivets through the sheets of the tanks forthe purpose of holding the tanks in place. It is very apparent that this construction is faulty, for the rivets are subjectto shearing strains and the holes in the tank sheets con taining the shanks of the rivets are likely to be enlarged and the tank sheets are likely to be warped and buckled where the rivets pass therethrough, whereby the life of thetanks is materially reduced. Moreover, the tanks are liable to severe injury and breakage, due to the bumping the cars receive when the cars are in a train, also in switching, etc., for the main agency that prevents longitudi nal movement between the tanks and the car bodies carrying the same are the anchoring rivets.

I employ improved means for guarding the tanks of tank cars against the injurious effects of tank thrusts, which include cush:

ions for absorbing such thrusts.

The preferred embodiment of my inven tion-is exhibited in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation, partiaily in sec.-

tion, of one end of a car structure show ng the embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 IS a. transverse sectional View through a por- Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented. Feb. 8, 19116..

actersof reference throughout the different figures.

The tank 1 is suitably mounted upon an appropriate under frame comprising center sills 2 arranged and supported in any preferred manner, said tank being strapped in position 1n any suitable way by means of the tank straps 3. One or more posts 4 project downwardly from the tank and are desirably fixed with respect thereto, there being two such posts for the tank in the preferred form of the invention. These posts 4 are desirably ea 1 integrally formed with ltwardly extending flanges forming a resuag plate 5 which is riveted to the bottom of the tank and having an upper surface conforming to the contour of the tank and there engaging the tank. There are two such plates 5, one at each end of the car for each post, these plates being preferably disposed m close proximity to the truck bolsters in the form of the invention illustrated. Side bearings 6 are formed integrally with the elements l and 5 and project downwardly from the element 5, the lower surfaces of the side bearings 6 occupy ing a horizontal plane or rather a plane parallel with the plane occupied by the rails of the track over which the car is passing. These lower surfaces of the side bearings 6 rest upon the outer end portions of suitable supports 7, the tank bands or straps 3 holding the side bearings 6 down upon the supports 7, without however, preventing the side bearings 6 from sliding upon the supports 7 when the tanks are subject to thrusts that are sufficiently severe to cause such sliding movement. These supports 7 may be of any suitable shape, they desirably being in the form of cast plates that are bolted to the center sills of the under frame. Each plate 7 desirably extends across the space between the center sills 8 and sufficiently beyond the center sills to afford ample bearing surface for the engaging side bearings 6. Each plate 7 has an aperture 9 provided therein that centrally receives a contiguous post 4'. the posts 4 being c pableof longitudinal movement within the spaces 9, as will hereinafter appear. Spring-backed abutments or follower plates 10 carried by and movable longitudinally of the under frame or car .able t .the bearings 6 and the body extend into each space 9 and engage the post 4 entered into such recess. These abutments 10 are pressed into e ga ement with the posts 4 by means of Poitier ul coil springs 11 carried by the under f ame andacting longitudinally thereof, and whose ends opposite the abutments 1O engage suitrust plates 12 of a spring pocket hereinafter described and are secured in position with respect to the center sills. The powerful springs 11 acting through the abutments 10 and the posts 4, serve to maintain the tank in a given position, the springs upon one side of the posts or upon the other yielding when the under frames receive very severe thrusts, to prevent such thrusts from injuring the tank, the springs that have yieded expanding thereafter to re-locate the tank in its normal position. The movement which the tank'need have is but slight, the tank bands or straps 3 permitting such movement, while the'under flat surfaces of the side bearings 6. sliding upon the flat surfaces'of the plate 7 afford suitable means for supporting the tank in position and at the same time, due to the friction between late 7 frictionily retard the movement of the tank, at the same time permit the tank to move with respect to the under frame when such under frame receives excessive thrusts.

While I prefer to employ a lurality of 4 of abutments for said posts, it is to be understood that I prefer this construction on account of the length of the tanks, though it is obvious that but one post with its springbacked abutments will serve the purpose, particularly where short tanks are employed.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown, as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It is to be noted that the plate 7 and the thrust plates 12, are preferably formed as a casting, as shown, and that such'casting is of .llCh areathat its flanges overlie the center sills for a considerable part of their length, and are connected to such center sills by rivets A,'which pass through the plate 7 and throughathe upper flanges B of the center sills, as best shown in Fig. 4. The thrust plates 12 are, as shown in said figure, cast and, with the bottom plate 0, best shown in Fig. 1, said thrust plate and bottom plate form suitable spring pockets connected by means of the side plates D of such pockets shown in Fig.2.

As the springpockets are deslgned to receive the coil springs 11, it is desirable to provide means to prevent displacement of such springs during compression thereof, and this is provided for'by extending the late 7 above the ig. 1., a

The truck E, illustrated in the dr'wings, may be of any suitable ty e but, for convenspring cavity, as shown in 'ience, a so-called four-w eel truck is indi-' gated and shown in longitudinal section, illustratingonly a front wheel F and rear wheel G, with truck bolster H, center hearing I and truck side frame J. The center immediately above such truck bolster.

By within the limits of the truck or within the truck limits is meant within the zone represented by lines extending vertically from the front of the front wheels F and the rear of the rear wheels G.

Due to the side bearings 6 resting on the plate 7 intermediate the truck bolsters, the weight of the tank is applied to the center sills intermediate such truck bolsters, or supports for the center sills, whereby the weight thus supported is fulcrumed at the center bearings and the tendency of such application of the load is to lift the end portions K of the center sills and consequently the coupler L, which is usually carried thereby, and thus avoid the tendency, so common in tank cars, of the ends of the center sills to droop or 'fall below the required height prescribed by service requirements.

Tank anchors between center sills and tanks, near the middle of the tank, are not intended to support the tanks. On the contrary, such tank anchors cause the center sills to sag and tank bands are usually applied to pull the sills upwardly to the tank.

In such constructions the weight of the tank and frequently of the sills is carried by body bolsters to which the sills are secured, such body bolsters resting on truck bolsters.

WVhere but one tank anchor of the type herein shown is employed, it is preferably positioned in vertical alinement with the body bolster, and where two are employed. as for example, one near each end of the tank, their positions should be substantially as indicated in Fig. 1, that is, within the truck limits but inside of-the truck bolster, that is nearer the center of the car than is the position occupied by the truck bolster-H. It is obvious that the plate 7m ay be braced at its outer ends and connected by such brace arms forms no part of the present invention, and

diagonal struts M are indicated for such ing and bearing members 6 with the platev 7 willbe removed from the middle portion of the center sills and such members 6 will f upon the car body, a pair besupported by the center sills near their points of support-the center bearings-so that there will be but slight probability of the sills bending under stress due to the load. Additionally, more friction will follow. movement of the tank on the underframe or sills, due to the rubbing of the lower faces of the bearings 6 in contact with the plates 7, and friction means will be provided at each side of the middle of the tank to retard movement of the tank longitudinally independently of the movement of the center sills.

Having thus described my invention, I claim.as new and desire to secure by Let: ters Patent 1. The combination with a car body, of a tank, a post projecting downwardly from the tank and carried thereby, a bearing plate mounted upon the car body, bearing wings carried by the tank and slidably supported upon said bearing plate, said bearing plate having an aperture through which the post projects downwardly, a pair of abutments in association with said post movable longitudinally of the car body and between which said post downwardly projects, and

springs carried by the car body and pressing said abutments against said post.

2. The combination with a'car body, of a tank, a post projecting downwardly from the tank and carried thereby, a bearing plate mounted upon the car body, bearing wings carried by the tank and slidably supported upon said bearing -plate, a pair of abutments in association with said post movable longitudinally of the car body and between which sald post downwardly projects, and

springs carried by the car body and pressingsaid abutments against said post.

3. The combination with a car body, of a tank, a post projecting downwardly from the tank and carried thereby, bearing wings carried by the tank and slidably supported of abutments in association with said post movable longitudinally of the car body and between which said post downwardly projects, and; springs carried by thecar body and pressmg said abutments against said post.

4. .The combination with a car nally of the car body and between which body, of a tank slidably supported thereupon, a post ,said post downwardly projects, and springs carried by the car body and pressing said abutments against said post.

5. The combination with a car body, of a tank shdably supported thereupon, a post pro ecting downwardly from the tank and carried thereby, and a pair of spring-pressed abutments carried by the car body in associatlon wlth said post movable longitudinallyof the car body and between which said post downwardly projects.

6. The combination with a car body, of a tank, a post projecting downwardly"from the tank and carried thereby, a bearing plate mounted 'upon the car body, upon which plate the tank is slidably supported, said bearing plate having an aperture through which the post projects downwardly, a pair of abutments in association with said post movable longitudinally of the car body and between which said post downwardly projects, and springs carried by the car body and pressing said abutments against said post.

7. The combination with a car body, of a tank, a post projecting downwardly from the tank and carried thereby, a bearing plate mounted upon the car body, upon which plate the tank is slidably supported, a pair of abutments in association with said post movable longitudinally of the car body and between which said post downwardly projects, and springs carried by the car body and pressing said abutments against said post.

8. Thecombination with a car body, of a tank, a plate upon which said tank is slidably supported, a post projecting through the plate and downwardly from the tank and carried by the tank, and a pair of spring-pressed abutments carried by the car body in association with said post movable longitudinally of the car body and between which said post downwardly prljeets.

tween which said post projects, thereby relieve the tank of destructive action of nolent thrusts.

10. In a tank car, an underframe, a tank supporting plate secured near one end of said underframe, said plate being provided with a central aperture extending longitudi nally of said underframe, a spring pocket below said plate, tank cushioning means, and a tank provided with a dependmg member adapted to enter said aperture and coact with said cushioning means.

11. In a tank car, the combination comprising center sills, a sill cover plate having aggrture,

having integral side armgs,

a tank saddle a post depend ing from said tank saddle within said aperrelatively centralture and cushioning means adaptedto bear said post.

13. In a tank car, the combination comprising center sills, a cast member overlying said sills, spring pockets secured between said sills, a tan an arcuate tanksaddle having an integral pending extension adapted to rest between said spring pockets, and springs held in said spring seats adapted to bear on said extension.

.14. A car structure including a tank, a supporting structure therefor upon WhlCh ter sill, a formed in body mounted to have slight movement independently and longitudinally of said cen- (pocket for a cushioning device ependently of and supported within the vertical limits of said center sill. said pocket comprising a casting having em walls, a coil s ring in said pocket, a follower adapted to a ut said spring, and a member depending from said car body adapted to contact with said follower.

19. In a tank car, a truck, a center sill, a tank, a body bolster, a cast metal spring pocket having end walls, longitudinally disposed resilient means in said spring pocket, a follower in alinement with said resilient -means, and a member depending from the secured to said tank.

20. In a tank car, spaced center sills, a tank, a casting secured to both center sills, a casting secured to said tank and dependin the tank y move longitudinally with therefrom into frictional contact with sai spect to the supporting structure; a connection rigidly secured to the bottom of. the tank and moving upon the supporting structure; and means for preventing vertical movement between said connection and the tank supporting structure without preventing said longitudinal movement of the tank 15. A car structureiincludmg a tank, a supporting structure therefor upon which the tank may move longitudinally with respect to the supporting structure; a connection rigidly secured to the bottom, ofthe tank and sliding upon the s'upportmg structure; and means for preventing vertical movement between said connection and, the tank supporting structure without prevent--' ing said longitudinal movement of the tank.

16. In a railway car, a truck, an underframe comprising a'center sill, a car body adapted to have slight longitudinal movement independently of said un'derframe, a suitable longitudinally disposed coil spring,

. a follower plate, and a. member projecting down from said car body within the limits ofsaid truck and opposing said follower. plate.

17. In a railway car, an underframe comprising a center sill. and a body bolster, a

truck comprising front and rear wheels and axles, a car body adapted to have slight longitudinal movement independently of said underframe, a pocket for a cushioning device between said axles and car body, a 1011-. gitudinally disposed coil spring and a fol-- lower plate in said pocket, and a member secured to and depending from 'said' car body adapted to contact with said follower.

18. In a railway car, a center sill, a car tank, a casting secured to both center sills, a

casting secured to said tank and depending therefrom -into frictional contact with said first mentioned casting-and adapted to re turd movement of the tank relatively to said sills, and a plurality of springs, one on each side of said casting, secured to the tank adaptedtocoiiperate with said friction elements. v

23. In a tank our, center sills spaced apart, a tank, a friction element connected to each of said sills, a flanged casting secured to i said tank and depending into contact with said friction element, and'a plurality of coil springs spaced apart and mounted in position to cotiperate with'said friction elements to permit limited movement of the tank independently ow said sills.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 'my name this 18th day of April A. D. 1908.

. JOHN T. H. PAUL. Witnesses:

Max Ersrnm, R. E. ATHERTON, G. L. Canes. 

